There is a need, particularly in the field of furniture construction, for devices with which springs may be suspended between open framework rails of a piece of furniture and the like. For the most part, these springs are in the form of zig-zag, spring strips which are usually sinuous and prearched. However, other types of zig-zag or sinuous spring strips, such as those with nearly square rather than sharp corners or with irregular bends are also utilized and sometimes coil springs are utilized. All of these types of springs are stretched or suspended between spaced, framework rails forming the item of furniture and include generally straight opposite end portions which must be secured to the rails forming the framework of the item of furniture being built.
For the most part, "spring clips" as they are referred to in the industry have been utilized for securing these end bar portions of zig-zag spring strips to the framework rails of the item of furniture being built. Conventionally, these spring clips were of generally J-shaped construction in which the long leg of the spring clip was secured to the framework rail of the furniture and the looped portion of the spring clip receive the end bar portion of the spring strips and were bent down or otherwise locked to hold the end bar portion in position in the spring clip after installation therein. The spring clips were often constructed of metal or other bendable material which would lock the end bar portion of the spring strip into place after it had been inserted therein and the spring clip bent down thereover. Also, it was often necessary to hold these prior spring clips into a locked position by the insertion of a fastener therein to hold the spring clip in its bent position with the end portion of the spring strip therein.
Use of such prior conventional spring clips resulted in numerous problems in the industry, such as the inability to release the spring strips from the spring clips after they were installed therein, the expensive and complicated design of the spring clips, the necessity for high quality lumber for the framework rails, malfunctioning or breaking of the spring clips, etc.
Although some prior attempts have been made to overcome some of the above problems with conventional spring clips, these attempts for the most part have been unsuccessful in providing an inexpensive, uncomplicated, commercially acceptable design of a spring clip for use in the furniture or other industries. Examples of such prior attempts to improve the construction of spring clips are disclosed in the following patents considered in connection with the present invention:
______________________________________ Patent No. Inventor Date of Issue ______________________________________ 3,199,163 Surletta August 10, 1965 3,422,468 Schutz January 21, 1969 3,671,031 Krakauer June 20, 1972 3,720,960 Bond March 20, 1973 3,791,749 Grille et al February 12, 1974 ______________________________________